Opinions are like armpits, I've got them

"HammerheadFistpunch" (hammerheadfistpunch)
07/14/2020 at 12:01 • Filed to: opinions time.

I don’t think this is an attractive vehicle. I think its ugly. It’s in the details.

For example, the 2 door has a gun slight windshield and bathtub body, it looks dumpy.

The 4 door kink is awkward and only enhances the overall awkwardness of a 2 door vehicle stretched to 4. The fender flares. Man those fender flairs look terrible. Tacked on summit racing have to get around local regs terrible.

There is a lot of good. The interior is nice, it has a good stance, and I like some of the details. But the overall effect isn’t winning me over. Maybe in person.

DISCUSSION (51)

For Sweden > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:10

The first generation Bronco was also ugly.

Just Jeepin' > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:10

Yeah, I know I’m irrationally biased (even more irrationally considering how hard my Jeep is trying to fail on me yet again , so I should consider shopping for a Bronco), but there’s something vaguely cartoonish about the new design that I don’t like.

Plus I really would miss dropping the windshield.

arl > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:10

The regular Bronco is pretty nice. The sport though? Not my cup of joe.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:13

I still see me in one more than the Jeep, because I like the vibe better.

But, let’s face it, none of my FJ40, 60 nor 80 are going on Craigslist to open a garage spot to fit in a Bronco. Plus, I’m very anti-turbo in these applications— and all Ford is offering are the Ecoboast engines, so there’s a strike against the drivetrain options.

Basically the only redeeming social features I see are “manual transmission” and “absurdly low gears with lockers”.

I’m glad Jeep now has a competitor. None of them are Land Cruisers, though.

LongbowMkII > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:13

Off roaders should be ugly and awkward

The Snowman > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:14

I feel like the two door looks more like an ih scout 80 than a bronco which I guess is good since Ford tried to copy the 80 with the bronco in the first place.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:17

Kinja'd!!!

I like the 2- door, it reminds me of the Hummer HX concept but the edge trimming need to go

Kinja'd!!!

Just Jeepin' > For Sweden
07/14/2020 at 12:18

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

O ddly proportioned but totally adorable.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > For Sweden
07/14/2020 at 12:19

Yeah the bathrobe body thing was very true of the original, Altho the International Scout was more bathtub like.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Just Jeepin'
07/14/2020 at 12:23

All retro designs look cartoonish. I mean look at a Challenger.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Just Jeepin'
07/14/2020 at 12:23

I think this has finally pushed me to go for a JL this fall or winter.

Just Jeepin' > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/14/2020 at 12:24

Why not a Bronco?

jminer > The Snowman
07/14/2020 at 12:25

Thank you! I didn’t quite realize what it reminded me of but you’re right the front end looks like a scout!

jminer > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:26

I’m with you - just not a fan of how it looks. I’ve sworn off Fords anyway but this is not attractive enough for me to buy into. It does make me hope that it pushes Toyota into this market though.

After looking at all of this I shifted to drooling over FJ Cruisers instead as I’d rather have one of them. My wife was of the same opinion.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Just Jeepin'
07/14/2020 at 12:27

I am unsure if I like the looks. Canadian pricing is FUCKED, I worry about long term reliability of the ecoboost.

Ultimately , it is a little too “hardcore” for me. For much less, I can get a 2 door Sport with the LSD and 6 speed.

Thomas Donohue > Just Jeepin'
07/14/2020 at 12:27

Yeah, that’s what you say when you see your neighbors ugly baby.

Still ugly.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:27

Fender flares are out of place, so for the bro’s to rip off, but ford has plausible deniability.

Sovande > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
07/14/2020 at 12:30

What’s the downside of a turbo? I would assume you would be out of boost anytime you are rock crawling or off roading?

punkgoose17 > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:31

The 4 door reminds me of a lifted Flex proportion wise.

wafflesnfalafel > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:33

that, sir, is an insult to all that is good and just

ClassicDatsunDebate > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:33

It looks a little 2005.

Thomas Donohue > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:33

I like it, but with the door off it just looks like the door is missing, vs “I just took the door off”

I do like the door with the hole in it, so you can see the front wheel the car next to you when sitting in traffic. (I know...I know....it’s for ‘rock awareness’ when you drive it off-road to the pop-up Starbucks at Burning Man)

Kinja'd!!!

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Sovande
07/14/2020 at 12:36

My personal issues with it, at least for “truly offroad” or “at least on rock-and-gravel and miles from support” are:

1) The real world mileage is never what they or the EPA claim .
2) Reliability is worse than N/A engines of similar type
3) Interferes badly with “linear power delivery” coming off idle in a rock crawling or adverse conditions situation. Boost comes up very non-linearly, which is the exact opposite of what you seek . (my engine swap truck is a great counter example to this.)

I acknowledge these may be “me” issues, BTW. Some people love EcoBoost in the F150s and I think it’s one of the worst scams in the last 30 years.

Dusty Ventures > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:37

Thoughts on features/performance/capability?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:39

A lot of people don’t realize this, but Fords as far back as even the ‘40s went big on having a hefty beltline and being swole with small windows. The beltline is bigger than the original Bronco, but by coincidence is pretty consonant with some other ‘60s Ford design, including the Falcon.

To me, the four-door (fordor? :D) doesn’t really work. The two, though, I kind of like.

Saracen > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:42

I look forward to bombing around Big Island in my awkward ugly 4-door Bronco some day.

RallyWrench > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:47

At least the flares are round, and not some weird trapezoidal mess. Easier to make it look good without them, or perhaps small lips to replace the flares are a good aftermarket opportunity.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:47

The side profile pic reminds me of the MV1 :

Kinja'd!!!

But while I think the MV1 is UUUUUGLLEEEE... I think the Bronco looks okay.

Pickup_man > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 12:52

It’s not %100 perfect, but I’m already trying to figure out how to get one in my garage within the next 5 years, I love it. My biggest complaint is with the tow rating being so low. At 3500 lbs I’d still have to keep my 1/2 ton around for the boat and the few odd jobs a year I find myself doing.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Dusty Ventures
07/14/2020 at 12:54

Yeah, I’d love to hear his thoughts on this too. I think he hinted in a separate comment on a separate post this is coming

Sovande > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
07/14/2020 at 12:55

I have never been offroad or spent any time around any trucks specifically built for it, so I don’t know a thing, but I would disagree with the reliability factor of turbo engines. Sure, it’s an additional failure point, but I have owned 6 turbo cars from 19 85-2015 and have only had one turbo failure on a Volvo with about 190k on the clock. But maybe in an offroading environment it’s different. I would think the non linear boost would not be an issue as most tunes limit boost in 1st gear.

What’s the scam on the EcoBoost in the F-150?

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Sovande
07/14/2020 at 13:22

I don’t think the real world mileage holds up to the EPA number or what VVT/AFM/DoD has done on the GM trucks. But, I’m a GM bigot... but I’ve seen 24 highway MPG on a AFM/DoD 5.3. In a Silverado. Nobody gets that on the EcoBoast engines.

Plus, it’s not hard to find these stories.

Kinja'd!!!

YMMV. Some people LOVE it. I’m not in that camp.

Shift24 > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 13:24

And I’m over here just waiting for the next gen 4runner. (2022? 2023)

Seriously though, i agree not that great. Interior is nicer than expected but that’s about it. Yeah the manual is a nice touch but only non-mall crawlers will buy it.

To me it just looks like Fords version of the Defender.

Kinja'd!!!

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 13:25

I like it, nothing is perfect but they did a great job making a modern Bronco. I would buy it over a Jeep or that thing they call a Defender. If I had the space and the cash ( if my work ever comes back) I would totally get one.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > SBA Thanks You For All The Fish
07/14/2020 at 13:53

On #1, I totally agree. I can beat the rating by the expected amount if I never go into the boost at all with a perpetually warm engine , but that’s the only way.

On #2, it’s likely, but yet to be proven. I was slightly reluctant to buy something with one. Let’s be real: Cars became so reliable by the mid-00s that we’re spoiled. Even with the turbos, they’re likely radically more reliable than something from 20+ years ago.

On #3, I disagree. That was true in the 90s when all turbos were pretty big, but now they’re practically required to meet EPA regulations while playing in the modern horsepower war, so most are pretty small. They are so linear and hard to notice that they simply feel like a bigger N/A engine, there are no spikes, dips, or spooling like older turbo cars had.

But let’s be ultra real: Electric is better for off-road applications, especially rock crawling.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > RallyWrench
07/14/2020 at 14:02

You made me look, and now I’ve noticed one of the reason *why* I like it. It doesn’t overdo the modern slab-flare atrocity. You know, the filthy rotten heathen unseemly thing where every single car *including* retro models has just got to have the body bastard-filed flat at the wheel opening because aero... or something.

The mid-2000s tyranny of slight bulge + milled surface. Eugh, even in mild cases. Always manages to be way worse in person than in a picture.

Kinja'd!!!

CobraJoe > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 14:08

I’m just solidly a “meh” on the whole thing.

There’s plenty of off road capable vehicles out there, at all kinds of capabilities. Another one on the market isn’t exciting to me in the least. I know I’d have to drive half an hour just to see gravel roads, and a lot further to get anywhere that requires 4x4.

It’s neat that it’s a 7 speed manual, but unless it’s surprisingly fun to drive on the road, I’ll just sit here and wish for the car I want them to build.

Nothing > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 14:14

The two door is vaguely cartoonish in proportions. Seeing a base model would be a better indicator for me, as I find the 2 door JL Rubicon to look equally off putting. A 2 door JL sport, however, looks much better.

I’m less enamored with the overall look than I expected to be. Which is silly, given how leaked the thing had been in the past few weeks.

shop-teacher > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/14/2020 at 14:23

“ I worry about long term reliability”

So you're going to buy an FCA product??? Uhhhhhhhhh ... Yeah ...

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > shop-teacher
07/14/2020 at 14:26

Lol. Hey, the pentastar is tried and true. Plus, easy to work on.

Also, were talking about Ford here. My ST and my dad's mustang indicated that they are not bringing their a game either

shop-teacher > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 14:27

I think it looks significantly better than I expected. I kinda want one.

shop-teacher > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/14/2020 at 14:29

Lol, true.

I'm pretty sure my buddy's fiancee's Ecosport is possessed by the devil.

sn4cktimes > Just Jeepin'
07/14/2020 at 14:30

I rode most of spring/summer/fall with my doors off in Calgary with my Jeep. I never did drop the windshield down though.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > shop-teacher
07/14/2020 at 14:37

I was rolling up my window the other day, hit a bump and it started going down despite me holding the switch to make it go up. Plus about 9,000 other electrical items that are fucked on the ST.

But, it goes vroom and has stripes...so I forgive it.

SBA Thanks You For All The Fish > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
07/14/2020 at 14:41

#3— Coming off idle? I’m not buying. I’ve driven a lot of EcoBoost rentals (trucks, cars, vans) and certainly boost is coming on nicely by 1500-1800 RPM. But, if I’m working myself out of pickle 200 miles from pavement— and trying desperate NOT to break loose coming off idle ? I’ll take even power delivery from a flat torque curve any day over “peak HP”.

#4— Still waiting for Elon’s 400 mile power cord... until then “off road” and “electric” in the same sentence is a joke, much like “towing” and “electric”. So we can agree to disagree on that one. I did a 1300 mile, 22 hour day earlier in the week towing a project car back to the shop. Easily a three day trip with a Tesla Model X... waiting to see how CT works in real world.

Just Jeepin' > sn4cktimes
07/14/2020 at 14:55

Doors off in spring and fall in Calgary sounds a bit chilly.

sony1492 > Sovande
07/14/2020 at 15:13

As a generalization, Turbo engines will wear faster and although the turbo may not fail catastrophically they need work and begin failing fairly early (roughly 100k) due to heat.

ShrimpHappens, née WJalopy > HammerheadFistpunch
07/14/2020 at 15:36

I really, really want to see one in person. #1, because the belt line looks too high. #2, because the more I think about it, I’m afraid that it might be like the FJ Cruiser in that it’s a small design inflated for a big body, resulting in the whole design just being chunky .

Of course, as a Gladiator owner, I really have no room to talk on it not being very photogenic. But look at the thing, especially the 2-door. From the tires, to the hood, to all fenders, it’s just... chunky.

sn4cktimes > Just Jeepin'
07/14/2020 at 15:43

It could be, but at it town speeds the absolute furnace of a heater was pretty good. Anything about 70kph would blow all the hot air away, then yeah, too cold. Highway times with doors off was really only comfortable 20 deg C and above.

The Snowman > The Snowman
07/14/2020 at 16:04

Also checked the wheel base and it's 100" same as a scout 80. Maybe by the time I'm ready to restore the scout 80 in my shop a rolled or burned or other way totalled rolling chassis would be a good option.

Mid Engine > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
07/14/2020 at 16:41

Legendary Ford quality, I’ve learned my lesson. Fuck em with a roll of rusty barbed wire.